Can Arsenal Really Win The Champions League?

Arsenal are on the brink. Despite their excellent and surprising start to the season, they could still fall at the final hurdle and fail to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Having been drawn in the toughest group in the European competition probably in their history, the Gunners still top the group but need at least a point at San Paolo against Napoli. A tough assignment indeed, but having already won in Germany to beat last season's finalists Borussia Dortmund this year, the Gunners should be able to secure a passage into the next round. In previous seasons the club have typically been drawn against teams of lower standing and who they managed, just, to get enough points off to make it to the next round of the competition, only to fall at the first hurdle in the knockout stages. This season has presented the flip side for the club, and they have shown themselves to be more than a match for Europe's finest, with only one game ending in defeat when a Robert Lewandowksi volley gave Dortmund a victory in the closing minutes at the Emirates Stadium. Wins in Dortmund and a demolishing of Napoli in their first encounter in north London only added to their great start to the season, and now their campaign hinges on a result in Naples. With Dortmund likely to beat group cannon fodder Marseille in their final game, a result in Naples will probably be a necessity for the Gunners. With their superb start to the season in both the Premier League and in Europe, the Gunners have attracted many plaudits, with some even feeling that this will finally be their chance to end their eight-year trophy drought. Having not been serious contenders in any competition for a number of years, can they really take the biggest prize of all and clinch their first Champions League title this season? They have come close a couple of times, the closest of which was their defeat in the final to Barcelona in the 2006/07 season, but they have failed to go further than the first knockout round since 2010. They may have become a regular fixture in Europe's elite competition, but in recent years they have been there to merely make up the numbers. This season though there is a new edge to Arsene Wenger's side, which was only added to by the signing of Mesut Ozil on transfer deadline day. Since then, they have only lost three times in the two main competitions this season, and having lost to Chelsea in the League Cup, they can now concentrate fully on the three prizes still on offer. It is no secret that Arsenal's game is well suited to the European sphere, with their fast flowing attacking brand of possession football more in line with most of Europe's top leagues, and this has shown itself so far this season. What has drastically changed this year however is their defensive steel, which has led to them conceding only 15 goals conceded in all competitions. To put that into perspective, they conceded 37 goals in the Premier League alone in the whole of last season. After finishing fourth in last year's Premier League, the club were forced to qualify for the Champions League via the play-offs, and this presented a stiff test in the shape of Turkish giants Fenerbahce, and their convincing victory over the Turkish side was a sign of things to come. Then when the groups were drawn, the Gunners were not given much chance of progressing by many fans and pundits. To my mind however, it is no coincidence that in the season they have been drawn against some really top quality opposition, their campaign has already gone from strength to strength, having had to play at their peak week in week out. Usually Arsenal muddle through a group of easier opposition and get knocked out in the latter stages, but this season their group has forced them to perform well in every game. Even the match against Dortmund at the Emirates the Gunners were the side who looked the more likely to score before Lewandowski's winner. This can only be a good thing and is surely a sign of what is in store if the club can maintain their flying start to the season. Several traits have shown themselves in recent seasons with Arsenal, as the club have struggled to remain consistent and injury free. However, despite having Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain injured for most of this season, the Gunners have risen to the dizzy heights of first place in the league, proving for once that they have strength in depth even when things begin to take their toll on the squad. They have had a similar approach to their European campaign, as despite the defeat to Dortmund, the Gunners refused to let this get them down, showing a steely determination that has been absent from Wenger's side for so long. The ultimate question at the moment and come the end of the season will be can they actually secure a first European title? Obviously this hinges on qualification in the first place to the knockout round, but if they can reach that stage anything is possible. Knockout tournaments have a habit of throwing up the odd freak result, and this was seen when Arsenal were the only team to beat Bayern Munich in the knockout rounds of competition last season, narrowly missing out on a place in the Quarter-Finals on away goals. The luck of the draw will also have a big part to play, as providing the Gunners get past the group and first knockout round stages, they will be able to draw anyone in the Quarter-Final stage, meaning any of Europe's biggest clubs are potential opponents, and with glittering performances from Europe's biggest sides so far, Arsenal will have their work cut out whoever they face. Whether the Gunners can take on Europe's biggest clubs remains a question that can only be answered by proving it. In the past they have fallen several times to Barcelona and more recently AC Milan, and have gained a reputation in Europe as being fairly easy to beat thanks to their defensive instability. That is set to change this season, as shown already in their victories over Dortmund and Napoli, but there is still a long way to go in the competition. With the competition's break over the Christmas period, the Gunners will have the chance, should they reach the next round, to strengthen their squad over the winter transfer window before the knockout stages begin. One position that needs immediate attention is in attack, as with Olivier Giroud the club's only out and out striker, they will struggle to score goals over the busy winter period if reinforcements are not signed. Although they have players who can also play as a striker, their only real back up to the striker's position is Nicklas Bendtner. Yes exactly. So back up is needed desperately, but if they can hold out until January then they have a shout of winning something, and if they are to win the Champions League, they need to make convincing solid signings that can slot straight into the first team. So it is possible if at the moment a little unlikely, but the signs, the structure and the mentality are all there for the Gunners to finally banish their barren recent history, and they could start by conquering the biggest of all and ending the season with a victory at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Their next act in Europe will decide whether they fail or start on the road to success, and 90 minutes in Naples is all it will take.